Gay, colourful and proud on Delhi's streets

Gay, colourful and proud on Delhi's streets

Under Delhi's beautiful November afternoon sun, nearly two thousand young men and women marched on Sunday to mark the city's third Queer Pride parade.

This year's colourful and celebratory parade -- starting at the end of Barakhamba Road near Connaught Place and ending next to Jantar Mantar -- was the first march after last year's Delhi high court verdict that struck down the antiquated Article 377 of Indian Penal Code.

Gay, colourful and proud on Delhi's streets

"I am always reminded of my school days in the 1960s," said 57-year-old artist Sunil Gupta as he observed the marchers gather at Barakhamba Road. Gupta has attended all the three Delhi parades.

"It seemed it would never happen in my lifetime. What's surprising is that the rate of change has accelerated. The first year there were fewer people wearing more masks, and today there are more people in fewer masks," he observed.

Image: 'It seemed it would never happen in my lifetime'Photographs: Myna Mukherjee

Gay, colourful and proud on Delhi's streets

There were many masks, but a lot of people wore them more to add colour to their looks, and less to hide their faces.

As a lot of people observed, this year's parade, with over 2,000 boisterous marchers, included many youngsters -- gays, lesbians, transgenders, but also straight people.

"There is a real change this year," said Gautam Bhan, an activist and one of the organisers of the parade.

"At the first pride parade there were four of us who gave interviews to the media. The numbers of supporting crowds have increased. There are new faces and new people talking to the press and that's fantastic," he said.

Gay, colourful and proud on Delhi's streets

Apart from the masks and the colourful costumes, the marchers carried a number of placards.

Some read: 'Closets are for Clothes', 'Queer Right are Human Right', 'No Need for Homophobia, Lesbian Suicides, Forced Marriages', 'Jab Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kaya', and 'Out of the Closets and Into the Streets'.

And perhaps the most touching placards were carried by the mother and grandmother of a young gay man.

The mother's placard read: 'God Blessed Me with 2 Sons. 1 of Dem is Gay and I Love Both of Dem Equally!' The grandmother's placard read: 'I Am Proud to Say My Grandson is Gay!'

Gay, colourful and proud on Delhi's streets

"The few passersby seem curious," Gupta said as he walked in the parade.

"Actually, this part of Delhi is very quiet on a Sunday so you will have to be dedicated to come to protest. But that kind of opposition in an organised manner happens in the US a lot, because of the lobbying groups," he said.

Image: No counter protests against the gay paradePhotographs: Myna Mukherjee